Silhouette: Elaine R. Wilson (modified) · PhyloPic

Ruddy Turnstone

Arenaria interpres

Silhouette: Elaine R. Wilson (modified) · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderCharadriiformes (Shorebirds and Allies)
FamilyScolopacidae (Sandpipers and Allies)
GenusArenaria (Turnstones)
SpeciesArenaria interpres (Ruddy Turnstone)

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

at Wilsons Promontory National Park

3 Verified sightings at Wilsons Promontory National Park From 2019 to 2026

18,151 Verified sightings across all 87 parks From 2019 to 2026

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Ruddy Turnstone

The ruddy turnstone (Arenaria interpres) is a small cosmopolitan wading bird, one of two species of turnstone in the genus Arenaria. It is now classified in the sandpiper family Scolopacidae but was formerly sometimes placed in the plover family Charadriidae. It is a highly migratory bird, breeding in northern parts of Eurasia and North America, and flying south to winter on coastlines almost worldwide. It is the only species of turnstone in much of its range and is often known simply as turnstone.

The ruddy turnstone was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Tringa interpres. The species is now placed together with the black turnstone in the genus Arenaria that was introduced by the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson in 1760 with the ruddy turnstone as the type species. The genus name arenaria is from Latin arenarius, "inhabiting sand", from arena, "sand". The specific interpres means "messenger"; when visiting Gotland in 1741, Linnaeus thought that the Swedish word Tolk, meaning "interpreter" applied to this species, but in the local dialect the word means "legs"... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Wilsons Promontory National Park

Calidris ruficollis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Numenius madagascariensis

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Gallinago hardwickii

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Calidris ferruginea

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Limosa lapponica

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Calidris alba

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely

LC Endemic

Larus pacificus

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely

Vanellus miles

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

LC Endemic

Haematopus fuliginosus

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Thalasseus bergii

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

LC Endemic

Haematopus longirostris

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Paracas National Reserve	🇵🇪 Peru	~70%
2	Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~50%
3	Galápagos Islands	🇪🇨 Ecuador	~40%
4	Namib-Naukluft National Park	🇳🇦 Namibia	~30%
5	Isla del Coco National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~30%
6	Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~30%
7	Wadden Sea National Park	🇩🇪 Germany	~20%
8	Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~20%
9	Las Baulas Marine National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
10	Cape Range	🇦🇺 Australia	~10%
11	Point Pelee National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~10%
12	Ostional Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
13	Ciénaga de Zapata	🇨🇺 Cuba	~10%
14	El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
15	Corcovado National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
16	Wrangell-St. Elias National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
17	Ningaloo Marine Park	🇦🇺 Australia	~10%
18	Celestún Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
19	Yala National Park	🇱🇰 Sri Lanka	~10%
20	Gros Morne National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~10%
21	Snowdonia National Park	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	~10%
22	Jaragua National Park	🇩🇴 Dominican Republic	~10%
23	Marino Ballena National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
24	iSimangaliso Wetland Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~10%
25	Coiba National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
26	Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
27	Fiordland National Park	🇳🇿 New Zealand	~10%
28	Cahuita National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
29	Doñana National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	~10%
30	Everglades National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
31	Fertő-Hanság National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	<5%
32	Cape Breton Highlands National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
33	La Amistad International Park (Panama)	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
34	Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
35	Queen Elizabeth National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	<5%
36	Camargue	🇫🇷 France	<5%
37	Piedras Blancas National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
38	Big Cypress National Preserve	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
39	Bastimentos Island National Marine Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
40	Machalilla National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	<5%
41	Hortobágy National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	<5%
42	Liwonde National Park	🇲🇼 Malawi	<5%
43	Vatnajokull National Park	🇮🇸 Iceland	<5%
44	Bali Barat National Park	🇮🇩 Indonesia	<5%
45	Santa Rosa National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
46	Lake Nakuru National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
47	Tsavo East National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
48	Table Mountain National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	<5%
49	Kiskunság National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	<5%
50	Acadia National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
51	Virunga National Park	🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo	<5%
52	Raja Ampat	🇮🇩 Indonesia	<5%
53	Great Otway National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	<5%
54	Tortuguero National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
55	Garden Route National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	<5%
56	Carara National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
57	Sierra de Guadarrama National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	<5%
58	Booderee National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	Insufficient data
59	Gonarezhou National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	Insufficient data
60	Thingvellir National Park	🇮🇸 Iceland	Insufficient data
61	Freycinet National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	Insufficient data
62	Ngorongoro Conservation Area	🇹🇿 Tanzania	Insufficient data
63	Royal National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	Insufficient data
64	Soberanía National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	Insufficient data
65	Flinders Chase	🇦🇺 Australia	Insufficient data
66	Utría National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	Insufficient data
67	Komodo National Park	🇮🇩 Indonesia	Insufficient data
68	Katmai National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data
69	Main Ridge Forest Reserve	🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago	Insufficient data
70	San Lorenzo Protected Forest	🇵🇦 Panama	Insufficient data
71	Caroni Swamp	🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago	Insufficient data
72	Wilsons Promontory National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	Insufficient data
73	Los Haitises National Park	🇩🇴 Dominican Republic	Insufficient data
74	Kafue National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	Insufficient data
75	Białowieża National Park	🇵🇱 Poland	Insufficient data
76	Addo Elephant National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	Insufficient data
77	Nahuel Huapi National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	Insufficient data
78	Chobe National Park	🇧🇼 Botswana	Insufficient data
79	Akagera National Park	🇷🇼 Rwanda	Insufficient data
80	Manuel Antonio National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
81	Taroko National Park	🇹🇼 Taiwan	Insufficient data
82	Darién National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	Insufficient data
83	Daintree National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	Insufficient data
84	Murchison Falls National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	Insufficient data
85	Cairngorms National Park	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	Insufficient data
86	Rakiura National Park	🇳🇿 New Zealand	Insufficient data
87	Kibale National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	Insufficient data

← Back to Wilsons Promontory National Park

Ruddy Turnstone

About the Ruddy Turnstone

Recent sightings of Ruddy Turnstone in Wilsons Promontory National Park

Closest Relatives at Wilsons Promontory National Park

Red-necked Stint

Far Eastern Curlew

Latham's Snipe

Curlew Sandpiper

Bar-tailed Godwit

Sanderling

Silver Gull

Pacific Gull

Masked Lapwing

Sooty Oystercatcher

Crested Tern

Pied Oystercatcher

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found